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The
opportunity for recreation within the Mississippi River Corridor
is great for the outdoor enthusiast. Individuals can enjoy
hiking, biking, camping, fishing, boating, picnicking, hunting,
canoeing, kayaking, and site seeing throughout the Mississippi
River Corridor. We also have within the Corridor four great
state parks: T.O. Fuller, Meeman Shelby Forest, Ft. Pillow
and Reelfoot Lake. These parks combined offer over 40,000
acres to explore, hundreds of sites to camp and lodge, at
least 40 miles of hiking and bike trails, an abundance of
tables and pavilions for picnicking and get-togethers, lakes
and streams for boating and fishing, and nature and visitor
centers for those interested in learning about the history
or the unique ecosystems of the area.
TO Fuller State Park
Shelby Forest State Park
Fort Pillow State Park
Reelfoot Lake State Park
For those interested in canoeing and kayaking, there are multitudes of rivers and streams to explore including the mighty Mississippi and the Lower Hatchie. In the last eight years, paddlers have embraced the Mississippi, and now hardly a day goes by when one cannot see kayakers out on the river. This is the case in the rain and sunshine, in bitter cold and in searing heat, in tranquil calm and in raw, violent winds. Mississippi River paddlers are hardcore outdoor enthusiasts.
 These
adventurers have discovered the rich and varied rewards that
paddling offers to our regional citizens and tourists alike.
They love the "quiet time," the opportunity to commune
with nature and escape the pressures of the modern world for
a couple of hours. They love the sensation of gliding across
the water in a well-designed boat. Of course, they enjoy one
another's company as well and appreciate the great fringe
benefits of this activity: physical health, well being and
fitness.
The Mississippi River Trail, a road bike trail that follows paved highways along the entire length of the river from Minnesota to New Orleans, includes a section through the rolling alluvial countryside of west Tennessee. One Memphis paddler, Joe Royer, is an avid bicyclist as well, and he has popularized a workout that combines a cruise down the river with a bike ride on the MRT. Leaving a bicycle on the dock at downtown Memphis, he drives his boat to Meeman Shelby Forest, a state park on the river some twenty miles upstream of Memphis. He then paddles down to Memphis and the dock, and rides his bike back up to Meeman Shelby Forest to get the car. Reasonably fit men and women take between three and four hours to complete the entire workout, which Joe has dubbed the "Mississippi River Challenge."
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Bird Watching
Nature-based tourism has grown into a huge international business. Within this sector, bird-watching has become the fastest growing outdoor activity in the U. S., according to a recent Forest Service survey. While only a third of the estimated 70 million Americans who bird-watch every year are serious birders, the Forest Service says the total of those participating has more than tripled in 20 years. In response, birding trails are developing in Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Virginia, and in other states.
 In
Tennessee, the 2001 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting
and Wildlife-AssociatedRecreation (U.S. Departments of
Interior and Commerce with the Bureau of Census) indicates
that 2.1 million people participated in bird/wildlife watching,
with $449 million in annual expenditures.
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Great River Birding Trail
The Mississippi Flyway is recognized as a Globally Important Bird Area. More than 300 species (60% of all the species in the U.S.) use the river as a migration corridor. The river valley also provides food and shelter for up to 40% of all of the waterfowl in North America during the Spring and Fall migrations. In the Spring alone, birders visiting the flyway may see more than 250 species of migrating and resident birds.
The entire Mississippi Alluvial Valley in Tennessee has been designated an IBA.
 Figure
3 The Mississippi River is regarded as the most significant
flyway for migratory birds in the world. Hundreds of millions
of birds migrate through this area each year.
Audubon's Great River Birding Trail (GRBT) was created as a tool for educating people about the ecological significance of the Mississippi River as a globally important flyway for migratory birds. Aside from teaching people about the birds and wildlife of the river, the trail will help stimulate local tourism.
The Great River Birding Trail currently follows both sides of the Mississippi River along the Great River Road from the headwaters at Lake Itasca, Minnesota to the confluence with the Ohio River near Cairo, Illinois. The Trail is named after the federally designated scenic drive called the Great River Road, which runs from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.
The bird watching sites identified most often by maps include established wildlife refuges, parks, overlooks and other attractions less than 30 miles from the Great River Road. The sites where people can observe a variety of bird species and enjoy the scenic beauty of the river valley are easily-accessible by auto, bicycle, or on foot.
The Audubon-Upper Mississippi River Campaign is currently working with Audubon Mississippi and the Lower Mississippi River Conservation Committee (LMRCC) to complete the birding trail through the lower five states along the Mississippi River (Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana and Mississippi) for a true "Headwaters to Gulf" trail. Dr. Tom "Doc" Pullen, in conjunction with Audubon Mississippi, is leading the effort to locate sites, and create maps for the Lower Mississippi. When the birding trail is completed in the lower five states of the Mississippi River valley, it will include all ten states that line the river and be 2,552 miles long - on both sides of the river. The Great River Birding Trail will undoubtedly be the longest birding trail in North America and draw national attention.
 In
Tennessee, 47 sites have been identified as potential GRBT
sites. Local birders, bird clubs, various agency personnel,
and others have contributed to this effort. The project is
in its early stages in this state, so extensive site data
- such as information about species, habitat, access, and
amenities - has not yet been collected or compiled for the
majority of sites. Sites near Memphis and Reelfoot Lake (see the NPWRC Bird Species Checklist for Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge) have
received the most attention to date.
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GREAT RIVER BIRDING TRAIL STOPS
Sites identified (listed from north to south) as potential GRBT stops include:
- Phillipy Pits
- Reelfoot Lake Complex-MS River@Phillipy Road
- Ibis Hole off Earl Trim Road at Phillipy
- Observation Platform Reelfoot NWR
- Observation Platform Black Bayou
- Reelfoot Lake Complex-Reelfoot NWR
- Reelfoot Lake Complex-Reelfoot WMA
- Reelfoot Lake Complex-Tiptonville Boat Landing
- Reelfoot Lake Complex-Reelfoot Lake State Park
- Flowers Sheep Road Boat Landing
- Lake Isom NWR
- Gooch WMA
- MS River Levees west of Ridgley
- Highway 79 Ferry Road west to MS River from GGR
- Big Cypress Tree State Natural Area
- Tennemo Levee across from White Lake Refuge
- Hurd Loop Road
- White Lake Refuge
- Observation Platform White's Lake
- W.K. Ford Boat Ramp (west of Dyersburg)
- Riverfront at Heloise
- Ernest Rice WMA
- Tigrett State WMA
- Moss Island State WMA
- Lake Lauderdale
- Observation Platform Lake Lauderdale
- Ed Jones Boat Ramp (Halls-N. of Chickasaw NWR)
- Chickasaw NWR
- Jim Fulton Boat Ramp (west of Ripley)
- Sunk Lake Public Use Natural Area
- John Tully WMA
- Fort Pillow State Park
- Lower Hatchie NWR
- Hatchie NWR
- Ed Duvall Landing (west of Covington)
- Sasser Boat Ramp (west of Millington)
- Edmund Orgill Park (Millington)
- Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park/Shelby Forest
- Observation Platform Eagle Lake
- Eagle Lake WMA
- Shelby Farms (including Lucius Burch Natural Area)
- Mud Island Boat Ramp
- Overton Park Memphis
- Lichterman Nature Center Memphis
- T.O. Fuller State Park
- Ensley Bottoms/Earth Complex Memphis
- William B. Clark Preserve (TNC)
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Recreational Website Links
Weather
Mississippi River Trail
Map MRT Cycling Trail – West TN
The Great River Road in Tennessee
Wolf River Conservancy
Outdoors, Inc.
Mud Island River Museum and Park
Shelby Forest State Park
Tennessee Vacation - West Tennessee
Fort Pillow State Park
Tennessee Trails Association
Reelfoot Lake State Park
Wolf River – Germantown, TN
TO Fuller State Park
American Hiking Society
Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau
TWRA Hunting Information
West TN V.E. Greenline Organization
Tennessee Landforms Information
Birding in Tennessee
TWRA Outdoor Information & Education
The Good Sam RV Club
Memphis Hightailers Bicycle Club
Memphis Runners Track Club
Mid-South Trails Association
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